Oct 22, 2012

Recap! A Price On Water: Privatization Of The Top Liquid Asset

Among the Texas Tech students helping record audio for our Lubbock days is Roxie Bustamante, who also recaps several sessions for us. Including this one:

Ken Rainwater gave a presentation titled Hydrology 101:
Texas Style. He
discussed topics such as the hydrologic cycle, hydo-illogic cycle, and surface
water issues. Although the presentation contained data for Texas communities,
Rainwater also discussed the issues in a broader sense.

However, the main issue that was continuously debated was
whether water should be a public or private right. Panel speaker David
Sandino discussed his experience with water being a private right. He said
generally cities that privatize their water generally do not accomplish any
economic benefit, because of the limitations it presents on the retail of
water.

Another issue discussed was the government’s neglect to
define what affordable water is for people, not only across the United States, but
also for different districts within the same state.

Water rights are different for each state. In Texas, people
can pump water, even if it affects their neighbors’ water source. The Ozarka
controversy was a specific example of the issue.

The audience was engaged throughout the session and shared
some of their experiences with a variety of water issues and asked questions
about the levels of the aquifers across the United States.

Panelist Jeff Johnson commented on what he sees as government's procrastination problem with a quote from Winston
Churchill: “Never doubt that Americans will do the right thing after they have
tried everything else.”

Comments

Among the Texas Tech students helping record audio for our Lubbock days is Roxie Bustamante, who also recaps several sessions for us. Including this one:

Ken Rainwater gave a presentation titled Hydrology 101:
Texas Style. He
discussed topics such as the hydrologic cycle, hydo-illogic cycle, and surface
water issues. Although the presentation contained data for Texas communities,
Rainwater also discussed the issues in a broader sense.

However, the main issue that was continuously debated was
whether water should be a public or private right. Panel speaker David
Sandino discussed his experience with water being a private right. He said
generally cities that privatize their water generally do not accomplish any
economic benefit, because of the limitations it presents on the retail of
water.

Another issue discussed was the government’s neglect to
define what affordable water is for people, not only across the United States, but
also for different districts within the same state.

Water rights are different for each state. In Texas, people
can pump water, even if it affects their neighbors’ water source. The Ozarka
controversy was a specific example of the issue.

The audience was engaged throughout the session and shared
some of their experiences with a variety of water issues and asked questions
about the levels of the aquifers across the United States.

Panelist Jeff Johnson commented on what he sees as government's procrastination problem with a quote from Winston
Churchill: “Never doubt that Americans will do the right thing after they have
tried everything else.”